Following the launch of its new Dallas, Texas, office earlier this month, Reed Smith has recruited energy partner Jorge Gutierrez to the fold, strengthening the firm’s offering in exploration and production, midstream and energy finance.

London-headquartered HFW has added to its expanding Houston, Texas, offering with the hire of transactional energy partner Fernando Cano-Lasa from Squire Patton Boggs (SPB), his arrival following that of partner Derek Anchondo who joined in September 2018 from Greenberg Traurig.

Led by chairman Neil Chatterjee, the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has made two senior appointments, as Jignasa Gadani becomes director of the Office of Energy Policy and Innovation (OEPI), having previously held the acting director role, while Lindsee Gentry steps into the role of deputy director of the Office of External Affairs (OEA).

Through the signing of inter-agency memoranda of understanding and an increase in its headcount the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has made changes to its consideration of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals that are pending before it.

One of the more controversial competition law claims of 2018 was that of BritNed v ABB, in which the High Court rejected the use of econometrics to help quantify damages in that litigation – with consequences for expert witnesses and their lawyers alike.